Improvement in vapor or gas engines



1:". A. T. de BEAUREGARD. Vapor or Gas-Engine.

No. 213,860. Patented April 1, 1879.

N.PE|'ERS. PHOTUUTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. Dv Q UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

FELIX A. T. DE BEAUREGARD, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS HISRIGHT TO LEON MATHIEU AND EDMOND EUGENE GHAZERET,

OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROV EMENT IN VAPO R OR GAS ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,860, dated April 1,1879; application filed December 19, 1877 patented in France, August 6,1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX ALEXANDRE TEsrUD DE BEAUREGARD, of Paris,France, engineer, have invented Improvements in Vapor or Gas Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification:

The object of this invention is the utilization without intermediatemechanism of the expansive force of gases and vapors.

Attempts have already been made to utilize the live force of asteam-jet, to occasion, for example, the propulsion of a vessel; but, byreason of an immediate condensation arising from the direct contact ofthe vapor with the water, no benefit was derived either from the weight,the pressure, or the expansion of the vapor.

By my invention all the properties of the vapor are utilized.

To obtain this result I cause the vapor to act upon the water, whichplays the part of piston, and the steam I employ at high' temperature orsuperheated. In addition, to avoid as much as possible condensation fromcontact with the walls, and from direct contact with the water whichconstitutes the piston, I interpose-an isolating-screen between thevapor and the water to be repelled. This screen must comply with thefollowing conditions: it must be elastic to follow the fluctuations ofthe liquid 5 it must be less dense than the water, was not to mix withit; and it must be unalterable by the steam at high temperature.

Fatty bodies comply with all these conditions. I further augment theirisolating properties by mixing them with cork-dust.

This isolating-screen may be equally well formed of rigid oak madm'ers,perforated, upon which is extended a layer of cork-dust, forming anisolating-cushion. A thin lamina of air prevents the cork-dust beingaffected by the influence of the high temperature of the superheatedsteam.

My invention is susceptible of several applications. It may be utilized,first, to produce directly the propulsion of vessels without engines,wheels, or screws 5 secondly, to constitute suction and force pumps fordrainings,

irrigations, fires, for ships pumps, and for airpumps, either vacuum orcompression; thirdly, to replace ordinary steam-engines and transportpower to great distances.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of two receivers coupled or joinedtogether. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section.

These vessels or receivers A and B, formed of sheet or cast iron, arelined interiorly with oak walls a, to prevent loss or waste of heat. Ineach of the said receivers is a movable isolating-screen, formed ofrigid floats b, of oak, pierced or perforated to permit the passage ofthe air interposed between the steam and the cork-dust c, which forms anisolating-diaphragm between the cold water and the steam at hightemperature.

d, Fig. 1, represents the lamina of air, which is incessantly renewed.This diaphragm is represented in detail at Fig.3 upon a larger scale. Asseen, the floats b carry upon their peripheries a ring of leather orother flexible and elastic material destined to form against the walls acompletely hermetic joint.

Each of the receivers A and B communicates at top and bottom by conduitsc with the cylinders O D, in which are metallic counter-weights 1, 2, 3,and 4. By reason of the difl'erence of density of the mediums thesecounter-weights rise and fall, and communicate their movement to therods E F G H. These rods are joined together two and two by the loversI- and J.

Suppose that the water is repelled or driven down -in the receiver A bythe forced movement of the diaphragm, and sucked or drawn up in thereceiver B by the upward movement of the diaphragm, caused by the vacuumabove it, produced as hereinafter described, the counter-weights 3 and4, jointly with the balance or lever J, become equilibrated intheliquid. The result is, that when one of them becomes uncovered by thedescent of the water in its corresponding receiver, it acts upon thebalance with the force of its weight.

The water pressed by the steam descends in this receiver till the momentwhen the counter-weight 3 becomes uncovered and produces its action uponthe balance J, which, oscillating upon its axis, communicates itsmovement to the rods G and H. The rod H acts then upon a slide-valve,which permits the escape of the steam, which still presses in thereceiver A, while the rod G acts upon another slide to admit steam intothe receiver B. This receiver is being filled while the receiver A isbeing emptied. The inverse stage then commences. The liquid is repelledor driven down in the receiver B, and sucked or drawn up in A. Thissuction is due to the vacuum resulting from the condensation of thesteam, the ex liaust, of course, closed after the escape of the steam,which may be facilitated or entirely produced without exhaust by aninjection of water produced by a special apparatus.

The steam in the receiver B acts with all its pressure until thecounter-weight 4, disengaged from the liquid, imparts to the balance orlever J a movement of oscillation inverse to that which it had receivedfrom the counter-weight 3. At this moment the rod G has moved the slideand closed the introduction of steam, the expansion takes place, and assoon as the liquid, in descending, uncovers the countenweight 1, thecfl'ects above described recommence in the inverse direction. Thebalance I, drawn by this counter-weight 1, oscillates upon its axis, therod F acts upon the escape-valve in the receiver B, while the rod Eopens the imluetion-valvc in the receiver A, so that the counter-weight2 closes in its turn this slide to produce expansion.

The degree of expansion may be varied at will. For this purpose it willbe sutiicient to unscrew the nuts which fasten the rods E and:

Gto the levcrs,and to lower or raise these rods, which arejoined to thecounter-Wei ghts 2 and 4.

I proceed to describe some of the applications of which my invention issusceptible.

Fig. 4 shows its application to the propulsion of ships. I arrange twocoupled or united receivers, A and B, which suck at the fore part of thevessel, while they repel at the rear.

By opening at will the steam-induction cock the power of the apparatusis varied gradually, which enables the speed to be varied, as required.

By this invention the manipulations are much simplified. By admittingthe water and directing it in a suitable manner, the difl'erentmovements from starboard to port. and for tacking about, may be effectedwith the greatest rapidity.

It will be seen that the apparatus described and shown with reference toFigs. 1 and 2 may be utilized as a pump.

Figs. 5 and 6 show the application of the invention to the transmissionof motive force at great distances vertically from the bottom of amine-shaft, and horizontally to a motor at a distance. In all cases itis suflicient to establish between the apparatus (single or double)placed at O and the hydraulic machine M a double line of pipes for theforward and return movement of the water successively drawn or suckedand repelled by the receiver of the apparatus. Y

I claim as my invention- The combination of one or more cylinders, A B,constructed to receive steam at one end, and receive and discharge waterat the other, combined with a diaphragm constructed to move freely insaid cylinder and separate the steam from the water, the cylinders (J D,coinmnnicating at each end with corresponding ends of the cylindersA Band connter-weights in said cylinders (J D, those of one cylinderconnected by levers with those of the other,

and operating in their respective mediums as the power to open and closethe valves of the cylinders A B, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing; witnesses.

FX. TESTUI) DE BEAUREGARI).

W itncsses ARMENGAUD, Jeune, BonT. M. HOOPER.

